We were hearing a sermon yesterday by Ben Stewart (I think his name was), the campus pastor at A&M. He was talking about Peter's denial of Jesus and how even Peter seemed to give up on himself afterwards. He went back to fishing. And then Jesus is on the shore making a fire with breakfast cooked and calling out to him and the other disciples.
When Peter comes to shore, Jesus asks him "Do you love me?" Each time Peter says "Lord, you know that I love you." And Jesus says, "Feed my sheep."
The pastor was saying how he used to think Jesus was being mean, almost sort of opening the wound back up of the denial, but then he saw how Jesus wasn't saying, "Peter, do you love me? Then why did you deny me? How could you mess up in such a HUGE way after you told me yourself that you would never deny me?" Instead he was saying, "Peter do you love me? Then let's go from here together and make disciples. Let's move on. My love is strong enough and my heart is big enough to accept you even after you turned your back on me. Let's move on, Peter."
He wasn't pointing him back to the past, but to the future.
He was saying that his sins were forgiven. And he did this 3 times so that Peter would get it, even though I'm sure it blew Peter's mind that Jesus could ever forgive him.
I think God is trying to show me how faithful His love is. And he's showing me in different places multiple times so that it sinks in. Just like Peter, I need to be reminded that there is a future for me in God's Kingdom and I can go forth with him walking beside me. I don't have to wallow in my sin and give up on myself because Jesus hasn't given up on me.
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John 21:15-25
The Book of Hosea
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